Martin Qvist

I am a public administration scholar focusing on how governance and organization in the public sector are changing, with a particular interest in reforms and collaboration between government agencies and other societal actors. Over the past decades, the public sector has undergone major transformations. New models of governance inspired by markets and networks have become increasingly prominent. The state now often acts more as a commissioner and coordinator than as a direct provider of services. This has blurred the boundaries between public and private, and created new forms of collaboration.

In my research, I study how such reforms take shape and what consequences they have in practice – whether at employment offices, in planning processes, or in other settings where public policy is turned into action. I have examined reforms and new governance arrangements in fields such as integration policy, environmental policy, transport planning, and healthcare. Questions of power, legitimacy, and how collaborative processes are organized are recurring themes in my work.

As a Score Fellow in 2025/26, I look forward to new research collaborations, fresh ideas, and inspiration for future projects. At the moment, I am working in two areas: inter-agency collaboration in cross-sectoral issues, and sustainable public procurement. The latter is explored further in a recently published Score report on sustainability governance of private healthcare providers in Region Stockholm.

Download the report (in Swedish) Hållbar upphandling av vård. Förutsättningar för miljöstyrning av privata utförare i Region Stockholm (pdf)